Angel of the Broken Church
by Lv99ghosttype
Summary: Aerith ran into Zack long before anyone really knew about Cloud. but what if Cloud got to her first. pre/during crisis core
1. Meeting

Angel of the broken church

Cloud Strife was only 14 when he got his job at shinra, as an infantryman, only in hopes of joining SOLDIER. He worked hard at it everyday, he struggled at surviving every mission and Shinra always ignored him when it came to promotions and rewards, even when he did twice the work as the other guys.

Cloud didn't have any friends at the time, so when he over worked himself time and time again, no one cared. So no one ever said "take it easy" or "you need some rest".

Cloud walked in the dirtied streets (or what they called streets) of the slums looking for his target. Not having much luck, Cloud was searching for it for hours until he got to sector 5.

Cloud walked up to a broken down church thinking the monster was inside. He was about to open the large door when he heard voices from inside. It sounded like a girl.

Cloud opened the door to see a girl about his age (or at least what he estimated) sitting there pouring water on yellow and white flowers in the center of the church.

"Who are you? You haven't come to take me away have you?" said the girl. When Cloud heard her voice his knees got weak. She sounded like an angel; hell she looked like an angel.

"No I'm not. I'm just looking for a monster about this high, purple skin." Said Cloud holding his hand just about the same level as his mid-thigh.

"Um yes" she said nervously "it's right behind you"

Cloud turned around to see his target standing right there. Cloud fired his gun at its head, creating a hole through its small head. The monsters last act alive was attacking Cloud making him fall unconscious.

After about 15 minuets Cloud awoke to see the girl looking down at him with a worried look on her face.

"Oh good you're awake! How are you feeling?" The girl said.

"I'm supposed to feel when I'm dead?" said Cloud in a groggy voice.

"Your not dead." Said the girl.

"Then why am I looking at an angel?"

The girl thought that he was having delusions until she realized he was talking about her and she started to blush.

"Sorry about that, I'm Cloud." Said Cloud (well duh) with a smile then realizing that his helmet was still on then he quickly took it off to reveal his gravity defying hair.

"Like a Cloud in the sky?" she asked.

"I'd rather not be." He said getting up. "What's your name"

"Aerith" she said. "What are you staring at me for, what do you a date?" she said making Cloud realize he was staring at her for all to long.

"Sorry." Cloud clutched his stomach, still in pain.

"You lied. You just said you where ok." She said.

"No I didn't"

"That's it. Your coming home with me." She said grabbing his gloved hand , trying to drag him.

"Wait what? Why?"

"Because your hurt."

"I can take care of myself."

"Not when you're as cute as you are now," she mumbled.

"What was that?"

"Umm Nothing!"

She dragged Cloud to her house in sector 6. It was pretty big compared to everything else in the slums.

Aerith opened the door to see her mother doing the dishes. In all honesty, her mother had little resemblance to Aerith if any.

"Mom I'm home, and I brought a friend, he's hurt."

"Okay but…" started her mother before she saw he was in a shinra uniform. "We told you people my daughter is not an ancient."

"What are you talking about?" asked Cloud.

"Mom he is not here to take me away. He got hurt outside the church and I helped him but he needs more recovery." Pleaded Aerith.

"How old are you boy?" asked Aerith's mom.

"I'll be 15 in a month ma'am" answered Cloud.

"He's not lying, go take him up to the guest bedroom." Said Aerith's mother.

And she did.

Once they got to the guest bedroom Cloud spoke up.

"Thanks for everything." He said.

"No problem."

"What was your mother talking about?" asked Cloud.

"Shinra thinks I'm an ancient, they want this power to seek the Promised Land or something like that." She said.

"Well are you?" said Cloud.

Right then she started crying.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-" he was cut off by her finger in front of his lips.

"Stop talking, I might have to do something drastic." She said wiping her eyes.

"I dare you," whispered Cloud playfully.

"That's it," she said as she started to tickle Cloud.

"haha Aeri- ahaha- sto- haha" said Cloud between his laughter.

"I warned you." Said Aerith with a smile on her face.

"That's it," said Cloud tickling her back.

"No Clou- hahah"

"Hey you started it" said Cloud stopping this tickle fight.

They where both sitting on the ground, staring at one another, both leaning in. Both of their faces where getting closer, eyes shutting slowly. With every millisecond Cloud was thinking if he should do this, if he wanted Tifa or this random girl. This whole moment was a conflict for Cloud.

But it was too late. They kissed.

Then he broke it.

"I'm sorry Aerith, I was caught up in the moment."

"Its ok, I mean it was only my first kiss and all." Said Aerith obviously disappointed.

"Look I just have a lot of conflicts inside me right now, until I solve them I just can't be getting into relationships with random girls. But there may be an exception." Said Cloud looking down.

"Look I'm sorry for actually liking it, I just thought that we could be friends first. Then I want to see if I should've liked it or not."

"fine, we become friends first. Deal?"

"Deal" said Aerith as they intertwined pinkys.

"Good 'cause my stomach still hurts, can you help me into the room?"

"Sure"

That night Cloud couldn't shake off the feeling that meeting her never should've happened. He knew that things where going to get complicated really fast.


	2. Sleeping

Cloud sat there, in the bedroom, thinking about this girl who just attacked the fortress around his heart and won.

His mind occasionally wandered to the other girl, the girl who he got into this mess for. Tifa.

Then Aerith took over his mind again, her laughter, her voice, her smile, her body, her personality, her everything.

Clouds eyes wandered off to the table clock, which said 2:26 am. He knew her for over 12 hours.

"Cloud, your supposed to go to sleep and rest. You can't go back to shinra in that condition." Said Aerith peeking in, Cloud jumped.

"Sorry, my mind can't rest."

"Well neither can mine, can I sleep here?" said Aeri- Wait did she really just say that?

"What?"

"You heard me, I want to sleep here, with you."

"But-wait-how-why?" Cloud was tripping over himself.

"Look I'm sleeping here one way or another so move over." She said walking over to the bed getting in next to Cloud.

"This isn't working well with our little 'lets be friends for now' thing" said Cloud.

"I don't mind." She said. "So who is it?" she was now staring into Clouds worried eyes.

"What are you talking about?"

"The girl that's keeping you from me, who is it?"

"Well she's strong, but she'll never like me the way I liked her. I got into shinra for her, but I don't think it was worth it, so that means that it was just a meaningless crush. Then I met you and this little conflict got bigger. I don't know much about you and yet I feel something big." Said Cloud tired.

"Well I'm 15, I love chocolate, I don't read as often as I should even though I love to read, I hate alcohol and everything about it, I-" started Aerith.

"What are you doing?" asked Cloud

"Telling you about myself."

"Why?"

"I know a lot about you so I want you to know about me, so you can like me."

"two things, one how do you know so much about me? And two how do you know I would just like a girl that I've only knew for what 12 hours."

"fate, the planet told me all about you, your likes, dislikes, everything that the planet knows about you." said Aerith looking at the celing.

"The planet?" asked Cloud.

"It knows alot about you. like...um.. oh you like that video game...um kingdom hearts alot."

"No i-"

"And you deny the fact that you like it" she said.

"fine.." said Cloud fallowing a short silence.

"So can i continue?" spoke up Aerith.

"It would be my pleasure."

"Ok so i find clowns wierd, my favorite food is mac and cheese, i love horror even though everyone thinks i'm a softie, i like bright lights, i might be afraid of the sky, i love flowers and i will aways love them, i don't understand how to use materia ...(skip a few minutes)... i.. um.. am no good at sports... um.." She looks at the fading Cloud. "and i love you." she finished as she started to fade as well.

Then she started to dream about her and Cloud in her church, Cloud was laying there on top of her flowers, he was in a SOLDIER outfit with one shoulder pad with skrews coming out of it, and he had a large sword on his back, with two holes in it. He gets up and off of the flowers and they talk for a bit, he agrees to be her temporary bodyguard. Then a turk comes in and Cloud saves them both.

Then the dream ends and Aerith wakes up only to see that Clouds arm was over her, protecting her. That was when she realized that both of them where so open with these feelings for eachother. and she fell asleep, protected.


End file.
